Nut Brittle

Nut Brittle

Prep: 20 mins

Bake: 00 mins

Skill Level: Normal

Makes: 500g of brittle

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Method

Nut Brittle is an American invention. One origin story has a hapless chef accidently adding bicarbonate of soda instead of cream of tartar when making toffee. The resulting substance was brittle instead of chewy – but still delicious!

This recipe requires heating sugar to a very high temperature. It is a good idea to get yourself completely organised before heating the mix.

You’ll need a baking tray lined with a silicon mat or foil greased with vegetable oil. Have all your ingredients weighed out before starting. This is particular important for bicarbonate of soda which is added right at the end.

Place all the ingredients except the nuts and bicarbonate of soda in a pan. Heat and stir continuously until the temperature reaches 148°C. This is just before the point it burns so you’ll need to be extra careful.

Add the peanuts and stir them through, then add the bicarbonate of soda. The mix at this point should begin to foam and froth. Immediately pour the mix onto your lined tray and allow to cool.

Once cooled and set the brittle can be decorated with a little melted dark chocolate. Break up into pieces and store in an airtight container somewhere cool.

Ingredients

200g Butter

125g Caster Sugar

75g Golden Syrup

50g Honey

1/2tsp Salt

250g Salted Peanuts

2tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

Melted dark chocolate to decorate (optional)

Tim’s Top Tip

Try adapting this recipe by changing the nuts and adding other flavours. Mexican and Indian spices work really well here - try ancho chillies, ginger and cinnamon. The salt in this recipe is really important to balance the sweetness. You could achieve the same effect by adding bacon, soy sauce or even miso paste.